Govt to provide Rs 1 million each to family of Sanjeeb and Chetan died during elections
The government made public the decisions of the Cabinet meeting held on Thursday. Government spokesperson and Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel made public the decisions on Friday. He said that the Cabinet meeting has given approval to carry out the Organization and Management Survey to establish a customs office at Pokhara International Airport on the proposal of the Ministry of Finance. Similarly, the government has decided to hold the National Assembly by-election on February 8. The government has also decided to provide Rs 1 million each to the family of Sanjeeb AD and Chetan AD who died during the elections to the House of Representatives and Province Assembly. Likewise, the meeting has decided to provide financial support to bring the body of Nirakar Pandey, who died in a fire in Cambodia, to Nepal. On top of that, the government has decided to appoint Toyama Raya as Finance Secretary and Ram Prasad Ghimire as Revenue Secretary.
PM Dahal directs NOC to reduce prices of petro products
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has instructed the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) to take steps for reducing the prices of petroleum products. According to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the head of the government directed the oil monopoly to adjust the prices of petroleum products commensurate with the international market price. At present, the prices of petroleum products have fallen in the global market. During his meeting today with Toyam Raya, Secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies, at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister gave this instruction. The Commerce Secretary is the Chairperson of NOC, the State’s monopoly of oil supplies. According to the NOC latest details, the NOC is likely to secure a profit of Rs 990 million in 15 days. Despite a fall in the petro prices in the international market, the NOC is reluctant to adjust the prices citing a burden of previous losses though it has already switched to an automatic fuel pricing system. As it says, their debt obligation is worth Rs 18 billion. The PM’s direction follows the NOC stand not to reduce the prices in spite of a wider pressure for the same.
Govt decides to appoint Raya as finance secretary and Ghimire as revenue secretary
The government has decided to appoint Toyam Raya as the secretary of the Ministry of Finance. A Cabinet meeting held on Thursday decided to appoint Raya, Secretary at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, as the secretary of the Ministry of Finance. Similarly, the meeting has also decided to appoint Ram Prasad Ghimire as the revenue secretary. Earlier, he was in the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).
National Assembly by-election to be held on February 8
The by-election of the National Assembly will be held on February 8. A Cabinet meeting held on Thursday made the decision to this effect. Khimlal Bhattarai’s post has been lying vacant after he tendered his resignation from the upper house of the federal parliament. He was elected from Lumbini Province. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had held a discussion with the Election Commission for the by-election of the National Assembly.
